Potters back in the neighborhood

Bill Kaufmann of Linden Hills Pottery mans the wheel at an art show at the Everett & Charlie Gallery at 2720 W. 43rd St. Submitted image.

Cynthia Mosedale and Bill Kaufmann are back in the neighborhood. Sort of.

The married couple and owners of Linden Hills Pottery haven’t lived in Southwest since the early 2000s after moving to Hudson, Wis. in pursuit of more studio space. They regularly return to the Twin Cities for art fairs, but now the couple has found a permanent gallery home in the neighborhood where they first began their business nearly 40 years ago.

Mosedale and Kaufmann hosted an art show at the Everett & Charlie Gallery, just down the street from their old studio space at 43rd& Upton, on Dec. 15. Gallery curator Suzie Marty said she is glad to be showing and selling their work.

The couple behind Linden Hills Pottery formed a team in the late ‘70s and got married shortly thereafter. They’ve able to make a good living traveling to art fairs and peddling their wares online and in-person. Kaufmann throws the clay, Mosedale designs and paints the pottery.

Kaufmann said they aim for functional pieces. The couple produce colorful bowls, mugs, olive oil dispensers and more. In the past year, they’ve added more sculpture style pieces to their work. Now in their early 70s, they don’t plan on stopping.

“I don’t want to change what I do,” Mosedale said.

The couple is collaborative, and not afraid to tell one another if their respective visions aren’t working. The partnership has been successful, with a stream of awards over the years from various art fairs and shows, most recently taking home ceramics awards at the Excelsior Art Festival and Lakeville Art Festival in 2017.

Bill Kaufmann of Linden Hills Pottery mans the wheel at an art show at the Everett & Charlie Gallery at 2720 W. 43rd St. Submitted image.

When the two moved out of Linden Hills in the early 2000s, they had a good business going and decided to keep the name. They say they still have many friends in the neighborhood.

In addition to being regularly featured in a Linden Hills gallery, Mosedale and Kaufmann say they are planning a move back to Minneapolis, where their adult children live. They’ve been looking to get back into the neighborhood but noted Linden Hills real estate prices have risen a bit since they left.